Cup crusher



Jan. 3, 1950 H. B. HAlT cur GRUSHER Filed Oct. 26, 1944 INVENTOR. H ward 5, Half Patented Jan. 3, i950 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE our caesium Howard B. Hait, Philadelphia, Pa. Application October 26, 1944, Serial No. 560,511 3 Claims. (011225-21) My invention relates to a cup crush r, and a removable waste paper cup container, and relates particularly to a crusher and removable waste paper cup container embodied with a water drinking fountain.

Heretofore, paper cups have been used to hold water from which a person could drink water obtained from a refillable water cooler. After the cups have been used, they usually have been thrown into a container or waste paper basket, and during the time that many cups are used, as on warm days, it has been necessary to frequently clean out the waste cups; otherwise they overflow from the waste container. This is especially true where soft drinks are purchased from automatic dispensers and where the machine may not be serviced for a relatively long period of time-and under such conditions the waste cups create a nuisance.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a dispenser embodied in a water cooler or liquid refreshments machine which will crush, hold, and dispose of numerous containers.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a liquid dispensing machine a waste cup container which will retain numerous waste cups within the machine itself.

Another object of my invention is to provide a faucet release mechanism, which simultaneously will control a Waste cup crusher.

Other objects of my invention are to provide an improved device of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efficient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, my invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a water cooler having a cup crusher and waste cup holder embodying my invention. 1

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing the mech-- anism whereby the cup is crushed.

Fig. 3 is a plane view of one of the cup crushing jaws.

Fig. 4 is a crushing jaws.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of removable crush cup container perforated to permit air circulation.

Referring now in detail to the drawing wherein a water cooler or other liquid refreshment disside elevational view of two cup penser, generally designated as A, has a Water or liquid faucet Ill, within a faucet chamber l2 in the liquid dispensing machine A.

Adjacent to a water drain I4,'I place an opening [6 to a waste cup receptacle 18 at the bottom of the faucet chamber 12.

A valve on the faucet ii! is controlled by pressure-on a foot pedal 20 which is attached to an intermediate rod 2'2 that is pivotally connected to a, valve control rod 24 that operates the valve on the faucet 10. The foot pedal 20 is located adjacent the floor and the bottom of the liquid dispensing machine A so that a person desiring a drink places his or her foot upon the foot pedal and steps downwardly, thereby pulling the rod 22 and valve control rod 24 downwardly to open the faucet l0 whereby liquid may flow therethrough to be caught in a paper cup or paper container.

A cup crusher, generally designated as B, is actuated by the foot pedal 20 simultaneously with the release of fluid from the faucet.

A bell crank lever 25 mounted about a fixed pivot 28 has one actuated arm 33 actuated by a pin 32, fixed to rod 22. The pin 32 slides within an elongated slot 34 in the arm 30, and always exerts a pressure on the arm when the rod 22 is moved. The second arm 36, of the bell crank lever 26, is at right angles to the first arm 30 and it has an elongated slot 38 therein adjacent its end whereby a pin or rivet 40 slides. The pin or rivet 40 is fixed to a rectilinear movable arm 42 which slides in a bearing 44 and which moves one crusher plate, generally designated as C. The crusher plate C has a plurality of serrations or ribs 46 thereon to give better crushing effect. A complementary crusher plate Cl, like plate C, has a plurality of serrations or ribs 48 complementary to ribs 46 on plate C. The ribs on each of the crusher plates interfit into recesses on the opposite crusher plate.

The crusher plate Cl is pivotally mounted at 59 to a sliding rod 52 which rides in a bearing 54 substantially aligned with bearing 44.

A pair of lazy tong long arms 56, 58, are pivoted together intermediate their ends at 6|], and one arm 56 has one end pivoted at 59 to crusher plate Cl and its other end pivoted at 62 to a short lazy tong arm 64.

One end of the lazy tong short arm 64 is attached to a pivot 66 which rides in a fixed guiding slot 68, a second lazy tong short arm 10 is connected at one end to pivot 66 and the other end is connected to one end of the long lazy tong arm 58 at pivot 12. The other end of the long arm 58 is pivoted at 14 to pusher arm 42 and cup crusher C. The short lazy tong arms 64 and 10 are of the same length and the long lazy tong arms 56, 58, are of the same length. Each of the cup crushers C and Cl are contacted on one side by inclined supports 18 and 18, respectively, which supports limit the position of separation of the cup crushers, but which preferably holds them in a downwardly converging position:toconformto tlie general shape-of waste 10 My invention operates as follows:

A waste cup, generally designated as D, is placed in the opening I 6, where it drops upo'nthe inclined crusher plates C and Cl. When a person presses on the foot lever or pedal 20} tb'draw liquid from the faucet l0, thear-m. 22' is; pulled downwardly rotating bell crank lever 26 clockwise and moves rod 42 to the left therebypush ing crusher C to the left, the action of the lazy tongs 56, 5'8 and: 64,10 is to'imove crusher GlIto the: right; thereby bringing crushers C 'and" CI to compress the paper cupD. The crushed-"cup their-falls to the bottom of receptacle l8.

In Fig.5 I-show' the waste cup receptable having openings I8A to permit air circulation. there in: whereby: any'liquid in the crushed cups' may evaporate: thereby insuring a' sanitary device:-

Althoughv my inve'ntion has been described in considerabledetail; such description is' intended as illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1; A cup crusher comprising a pair of serrated plates, means to press said plates together, said means including a pair of lazy tongs, and means to actuate said lazy tongs whereby said plates will be moved together.

2-' A=cup 'cmsher comprising; a pair of'serrated plates, means to press saiil" plates together, said means including a pair of lazy tongs, a vertically positioned guide whereby said lazy tongs will move said plates vertically together, and means including horizontal supports to actuate said lazy tongs whereby said plates will be moved togather 3. My invention as set forth in claim 2 includiirga pair of inclined supports whereby said serrated plates may rest on said inclined supports.

REFERENCES CITED 'PIie renewing referencesare of recordin' the 

